The USFWC is a driving force in ensuring the promise of worker-ownership is accessible to communities of color. Black workers in particular face entrenched barriers to economic security, from the racial wealth gap and gentrification to precarious work and accelerating inequality. Worker ownership offers a powerful alternative: collective control of their work, sharing in the wealth they create, and recirculating that wealth within their communities. But for too long, access to worker ownership has been concentrated in wealthier, whiter communities.
The USFWC is helping change that. The cooperative support system we’ve built has led more and more workers in communities of color to worker ownership as a strategy for economic security. By connecting Black-led cooperatives to national infrastructure and stewarding spaces for leadership and belonging, the USFWC ensures these businesses don’t have to overcome systemic barriers alone.
In 2024, we deepened our commitment to Black cooperators through technical assistance, leadership development, and movement-building. Through our Co-op Clinic and Peer Advisor network, we expanded culturally competent technical assistance for and by communities of color. We also facilitated the first Black Cooperator Meetup at the Worker Co-op Conference, sparking the new Black Cooperator Peer Network, which is a dedicated space for Black members to strategize and support one another. Our staff and members connected with a growing network of Black cooperators at the Annual National Conference on the Black Cooperative Agenda to strengthen cross-movement relationships. Together, these investments are helping Black co-ops mobilize stronger and learn faster on their journey toward building lasting community wealth.
Impact Highlights
Technical assistance (TA)
- 110 Instances of TA for Black-led workplaces
- 55 Black-led co-ops received TA
- 47% Increase in TA provided to Black-led co-ops over 2023
Connection & leadership
- First Black Cooperators Meetup
- New Black Cooperators Peer Network
Dues solidarity
- 1 in 3 Black-led members received full or partial dues discounts
